Historically, the viewing experience of TV has been governed by the content and programming of the service providers, broadcasters and networks who decide when programs will be available and their duration. While lifestyles have become more complex and the content available to the viewer has increased, it has become more desirable to allow viewers to control this form of entertainment on their own terms. While video cassette recorders (VCRs) allow viewers to capture content for future playback, the VCR has been plagued with limitations inherent in the analog tape media and the difficulty viewers commonly experience in programming these devices to record selected future programs.
The recent advent of digital video recorders (DVRs), coupled with more intuitive electronic program guides (EPGs) used in popular DVRs, have provided new and simplified recording options for viewers. In addition, as a useful byproduct of digital storage, DVRs provide the ability to pause, replay and fast-forward the playback of time-shifted programming. However, as the number of available channels and the volume and diversity of available content increases, currently available DVRs and program guides will not provide the needed ability to playback and scan volumes of stored video with simple controls and with minimal knowledge of the available content. Viewers will need “more information about the content to help them navigate between programs and within a particular program.